Konaha Vacation: Beach Trip
by lightningxsand
Summary: Suna and Konaha friends decide to go on a beach trip. Character/OC oneshots. Modern/Canon twist together. (For instance, modern technology like tablets are present)
1. Stormy Night

I don't know whose idea it was to have a beach trip, but it was a fantastic one. Instead of renting a bunch of cars for the trip, and then a hotel, we pooled our money together and rented a bus and a humongous sunshine yellow beach house. Everyone was talking excitedly as we piled into the bus. I wasn't at all surprised when Kankuro sat next to me, grinning. I grinned back at him, holding up my tablet where I had hours of music, movies and games to keep us occupied for the trip. Old friends, I was well acquainted with what his tastes in media were and knew we had a fun ride ahead. We were just about to put in our headphones when Sakura stood up at the front of the bus, a clipboard in her hands.

"Alright, everyone, pay attention!" She smiled, and tapped the board with a pen. "We've got to decide who is sleeping where and with who."

Kankuro suddenly pulled me into his lap, smirking. "I call Setsuko! Can we get a private room?"

Most everyone laughed and whistled as I put my arms around him, "Oh, please, Sakura, can we?"

She rolled her eyes, "One, there's only one room with a single bed and two, this many people was only approved by the landlords of the house if we be good and follow their rules, and being good does not include co-ed sleeping arrangements."

Temari stuck her head into the aisle, "I vote getting Setsuko then. You can join us, Sakura, Hinata."

Sakura smiled. "Well, there's one room down. The four of us have the big room on the top floor. Next?"

I slid out of Kankuro's lap into my own seat and smiled at him. For as mutually attracted to each other as we seemed (I can't count on my fingers the number of times I've been asked if we were dating), Kankuro and I are just friends, and it's likely to stay that way. After his room was determined as on the first floor with Naruto, Sai and Gaara, we put on our headphones and started to watch the first movie, his pick, Princess Mononoke.

It was dark when we finally arrived, and everyone was tired, and ready to fall into bed. Kankuro and Lee helped us girls get our things up to our room. After everything was set on the floor, Lee said good night, and headed out to find his things and go to his own room. Kankuro lingered, leaning against the door frame. "Setsuko, you sure you don't want to hang out a little more? We could go on the beach, see what the stars are like out here. Or finish watching Kiki's Delivery Service. Maybe we could even not watch the movie."

I grinned, and shoved him a little. "Good night, Kankuro."

He grinned just a little as I closed the door in his face. When I turned around, I found three sets of eyes on me. I stuck my tongue out at them, "What?"

Temari just smirked, and turned back to her suitcase, looking for her pjs, "Nothing."

There were two bunk beds in the room, and after a small discussion and a quick number game, I got the bottom bunk under Hinata. We sleepily chatted a little after turning out the lights, but by the time I had closed my eyes, faint snores could be heard from all corners of the room.

It was the charged air that woke me up. I didn't even realize what had happened until I saw a flash of light. I grinned when a rumble of thunder answered my count. Throwing off the covers, I went to the window, my hair rising as I felt the charge rise again then be released by a bolt of lightning striking the sea. Rain was falling in fat drops through the screen against the glass and I hurriedly rummaged through my duffle bag to find more appropriate clothes, like my raincoat. Suitably armed, I slipped out of the room and down the stairs. Once outside, on the second floor balcony, I rushed down to the deck below, sticking my tongue out to taste the rain. I skirted the pool there, heading straight for the stairs that would take me past the dunes to the beach.

I laughed at the thunder just as I heard someone call my name. Turning around, I saw Kankuro standing just inside the first floor door. I could barely hear him as he shouted for me to come back, gesturing frantically. I waved, pretending not to understand as I walked on. I was at the stairs now, and I watched the huge waves crash angrily against the sand. My hair whipped around my face, soaked. I smiled, hugging myself as I watched the lightning come closer. Out of all the students here, I had to be the closest to this element, lightning. Even though I'm a Suna nin, my clan is originally from the Land of Lightning. I don't know why we left, if was long before my time. All I know is that lightning could never hurt me. That if I was safe anywhere, it was in the middle of a storm.

"Setsuko!"

I jumped as Kankuro grabbed my shoulder, pulling me around to face him. He looked angry as he shook me. "Are you crazy?!"

I narrowed my eyes, studying him. His eyes were wide, shoulders hunched, every muscle clenched as if he were trying to hide. He looked, worried, angry and terrified all at the same time. I smiled as he pulled me to him. "Baka, what if something happened to you? What would I do?"

I leaned away so I could look him in the eye. Grinning, I put my arms around his neck. "Why, Kankuro, I didn't know you cared so much about me."

He scowled. "Of course I do. It's you who don't seem to care so much. Let's go inside, before we get struck by lightning."

He pulled me all the way to the door, his hand tight around my own, flinching at every flash of lightning, every roar of thunder. Once we were inside, the glass door between us and the storm, I watched as almost every muscle relaxed and he let out a huge breath. Then he glared at me, and gestured at himself. "Now I'm soaked, chasing after you in a freaking thunderstorm."

I stayed quiet, leaning against the door, arms crossed. He was soaked, his clothes sticking to his body, highlighting every curve, every line. It had somehow managed to escape my attention just how toned Kankuro really was. He noticed my eyes trailing over him, and caught on. Smirking, he stood in front of me, putting a hand against the wall on either side of my head. "Like what you see?"

I smiled, "Maybe just a little. You should change, you might catch a cold."

He leaned closer, "Maybe you should help me."

Our lips touched and that was the end of the conversation. I pulled the shirt over his head tossing it aside as he slipped his hands over my coat, unbuttoning it then slipping it off my shoulders where it fell to the floor. Pulling me closer, he lifted me up and braced me against the wall lips moving with mine in a frenzy. My fingers ran over his chest and stomach, following every curve. I teased his nipples, pinching them a little. He retaliated by doing the same, slipping one hand up under my shirt. I growled and he chuckled. He nibbled on my lip, trying to get me to open my mouth as I moved my fingers to his hair instead. Twisting my fingers there, I pulled and he grunted, his lips parting just enough for me to slip my tongue through. I tightened my legs around his waist as we kissed, tongues battling in his mouth. I clung to him as he moved away from the wall, gasping as he dropped me onto the couch and climbed on top of me. I was thanking god for wide couches as he slipped his fingers under my waistband, kissing my neck. He pulled away then to whisper a question in my ear, and I responded by slipping my fingers down his sides and into his pants. Grinning, he pulled them off, and went back to kissing my neck, biting hard enough at its base to make me moan and pull him closer, ever closer.

It was Gaara who found us in the morning, snuggled against one another under a blanket we had found draped over the other couch. He advised us to hurry up and get dressed, since everyone else would be awake soon, turning away as we did so, as quickly as we could. We were going to sneak back to our different floors before anyone would see, but we weren't fast enough to avoid a half awake Naruto from catching us sharing another kiss and assessing our messy hair, winkled clothing and flushed cheeks with a knowing smirk. By the end of breakfast, everyone in the house knew that Kankuro and I had hooked up during the night, and Sakura relented under Kankuro's request, moving Ino and Tenten out of the one bed room so that we could have some privacy for the rest of the trip.


	2. Searching for Seashells

This beach trip is fantastic. It's great to be able to do what I want without having to make time for missions. Even with making plans with everyone else for dinner and fun games and trips into the town, I can still relax and decide what I want to do and when I want to do it.

I sat inside the kitchen, staring at the display of massive shells on top of the cabinets. They were gorgeous, the pinks and yellows blending in crème, the cone that widened into a crown. I ate my cereal absentmindedly as I stared at them, wondering if they were store bought or if the landlords had found these themselves. I didn't think I would find such beauties as these on the beach, but I would find enough pretty shells to satisfy my need.

Finished eating, I dumped my bowl into the sink, and dashed down the stairs to the room I shared with Tenten and Hinata, throwing open one of the dresser draws I had claimed for myself and pulling out my bikini. Pulling it on then throwing a dress over my head, I grabbed my giant straw hat and ran out and down the rest of the stairs, grabbing a towel from the pile next to the door and a bucket on the patio. I skipped past the pool where Kankuro and Temari sat on the edge, watching Naruto and Kiba dunking each other, and headed down the boardwalk to the beach. There were more of the other nin here, already enjoying the hot sun and tumbling waves. They had all woken up long before me and headed outside, letting me continue to sleep. I never wake up before eleven, unlike the rest of them, and also never fall asleep before three in the morning. I was up for hours after the rest of them had fallen asleep, enjoying the storm and playing games on my DS.

I wasn't watching where I was going, and nearly tripped over a half built sand castle, twisting to avoid crushing it with my clumsy feet. When I had suitably regained my balance, I stopped in my tracks, and smiled apologetically at the architect. "Gomen, Gaara-sama."

The Kazekage stared up at me, and I looked him over. Even though he was wearing swimming trunks, a shirt still covered his chest and a hat similar to mine his head. His expression was as blank as ever, but he nodded his head, accepting my apology. Seeing the empty bucket in my hands he asked, "Yasumi-san, are you going to make sand castles too?"

I shook my head, swinging the bucket, "Nah, I'm going to look for sea shells. I want to take some back to Konaha with me to decorate my apartment. Want to come with me?"

I held out my hand to help him up and he nodded, taking my hand. I pulled him up, and started to walk away. He held tight to my hand though, and I looked back to him and smiled. We walked together like that, hand in hand, scouring the beach from the base of the dunes to the edge of the water, looking for shells.

He found the first one, half buried by the waves. Digging it out, we found an orange beauty the size of my fist. Grinning, I put it in the bucket, and, noticing the gleam in Gaara's eyes, continued on down the beach, skipping around the surf.

I stopped, putting the full bucket on the deck. Gaara stood behind me as we looked around. Everyone else was gone. Heading up to the kitchen on the third floor, we found a note pinned to the fridge. It seems that while we were wandering the beach, everyone else had gone out into the town, and weren't coming back until after dinner. There was an apology, and an address for the restaurant they were heading to, with the time the reservation was for. I smiled. They weren't eating for another two or three hours. I turned to Gaara. "You wanna just hang out here until it's time to go to the restaurant?"

He nodded, and I shrugged. "I'm going back down to the pool to wash off the shells and swim a bit. You can come, if you want."

I headed back down the stairs, not bothering to check if he would follow. I knew he would, even if he took a minute. Gaara liked being around me. Maybe it was because I didn't mind if he didn't talk. Or maybe it was because I always asked him if he wanted to do something, or gave him the option to opt out. Whenever he and his siblings visit town, the Hokage always assigns me to him, and I don't mind. Gaara is pretty cool to hang out with, once you get to know him. He's nice, and pretty sweet in his own way. I've gotten pretty good at reading him, even if he is pretty expressionless.

I went to my bucket and picked it up, putting it beside the pool's edge. Stretching, I put my hat on of the chairs, and put my dress with it. I slipped down the steps of the pool, sighing as the water touched my skin. I dove under for a moment, to be completely immersed. I moved my arms, pulling my body through the water to the other side of the pool. Coming up to the surface, I laid on my back and sighed, smiling.

"Yasumi-san?" I opened my eyes to see Gaara standing beside the shells, staring at me. I pushed myself over that way, staying on my back. "Yes, Gaara-san?"

He just looked at me, quiet. I looked back, noticing how green his eyes were. I felt myself blush, and, embarrassed, flipped over. "Let's, uh, let's clean the shells, yeah?"

He nodded. I pulled myself out of the pool, pretending not to notice that he was looking at me, and using my towel to dry off, pulling my dress back over my head when I was done. A little nervous, I picked up the bucket and went over to the outdoor shower and hose, thinking that, on second thought, it's not a great idea to rinse them off in the pool. We knelt there, quietly rinsing off the shells, using our fingers to brush out any persistent sand. One by one, we put them on the railing, glancing at the way the colors gleamed when wet. I was proud of our haul, and glad Gaara had helped me.

I was also glad Gaara was on this trip. I will admit I had looked forward to it even more when Sakura had mentioned that she was inviting our Suna friends too. There was just something about Gaara that I really liked, something I couldn't put my finger on. Tenten teases me that I always look happier when they come to town, though I seriously think she's just joking. I'm one hundred percent happy, even when Gaara isn't around for me to spend time with.

Right?

"Yasumi-san." I looked up to see Gaara staring at me. He held up the bucket, turning it over. "We're done."

I smiled at him, and looked at the numerous sea shells lined up on the wooden railing, drying in the sun. I stood, arching my back to stretch, hands reaching into the air above my head. He stood as well, still staring at me, his eyes trailing from my feet to my hands and back to my feet until they flitted up to rest on my face. He looked a little curious, a little expectant; like he knew something was going to happen. I brushed off my nervous stomach, and gestured at the shells, "Well, Gaara, you helped me. What can I do for you in return?"

He was quiet, and looked like he was thinking. I swallowed. "Do you want one or two of the shells?"

"No." He shook his head, and took a step towards me. I took a deep breathe. "Well, I could pay for your dinner tonight."

"No." He repeated, reaching out to touch my hair, pushing some of it behind my ear, letting his hand linger for a moment or two. I shivered, and he looked almost as if he were smiling. The edges of his lips were turned up just slightly, his eyes only open slightly. "Are you cold, Yasumi-san?"

I smiled, realizing where we were headed, deciding, once and for all, to give in to my deeper feelings for Gaara. Putting my hands around his neck, I leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "What is it you want, Gaara-san?"

He tensed up a little, and I giggled. "Tell me, Gaara."

Hesitantly, he put his hands on my hips, and pulled me closer to him. He tilted his head forward, his lips just a hairsbreadth from mine when he whispered, "You. I want you."

I tightened my grip around his neck, closing the space between our faces to press my lips against his. In response, his own arms tightened around me, leaving any air that had existed previously to disappear as every inch of our bodies pressed together. He backed me up, locking me between him and a bare bit of railing. Our lips moved together, and I was barely able to breathe, aware of the goose bumps that covered my body, the way his hands rubbing my back made my dress rise up just a little and the way his hair felt between my fingers. He licked my lips, and I sucked his lower lip into my mouth, gently biting it. He chuckled, and moved away from my lips, one hand brushing away my hair to kiss my neck, biting his way back up to my ear, where he took the lobe and sucked on it just a little before biting. I moaned his name. He looked at me, and he really was smiling now. Leaning forward, he kissed me just once before murmuring, "I don't really want to go to the restaurant, do you?"

I giggled as he backed up and took my hand, pulling me along into the house and into the room he was sleeping in. I closed the door behind us as he slipped his hands under my dress to pull it over my head.

The others were, of course, wondering where we were while they ate dinner, and a little worried about what they would find when they got back. All they did find, however, was some beautiful shells on the back deck and that Gaara's door was locked, faint sounds coming from inside. Naruto, Kiba and Neji looked at each other and agreed that tonight they were probably going to be sleeping on the couches.


	3. Stargazing

I poked at my tablet, smiling as I pulled up the astronomical data for the night. The sun was going to set at about nine thirty, just a short while from now, so the stars would be fully visible by eleven. Then there was a meteor shower that should happen around twelve. I was excited. Back home, the lights from the village made it hard to see the sky clearly enough to really see anything, but here all lights are dim during the evening specifically to keep the light pollution at a minimum. And, somehow, whenever I went out on a mission to a low population area, there's a full moon, making the sky still too bright for proper observation.

But tonight, there is no moon, no light pollution and clear skies. It's going to be absolutely perfect. Until the meteor shower, that is. Then it's going to be magical.

I bit my lip, and looked up the temperature, to make sure that it would still be warm enough to go without an extra blanket. I was relieved to see that the temperature would only drop a few degrees after the sun set. That way I didn't even have to change, I could wear the shorts and tank top combo I'd been wearing all day.

I was continuing to plan my evening, thinking about which blanket from the house to take out there, any snacks. Did I want to tell everyone else about the meteor shower? That would be the right thing too, right? It's not every day you see that sort of thing. But then I wouldn't be alone on the beach…

"Hibiki." Someone sat on the couch next to me, and I looked up to see Shikamaru looking at me, his eyebrows raised. "I've been saying your name for the past minute, what are you doing?"

I smiled, and hugged my tablet to my chest so he couldn't see the screen. "Nothing really. Checking my emails and stuff."

He rolled his eyes. I'm a bad liar, everyone knows this. When something happens, and people want the truth, they come to me first, trusting that I'll give the right answer or, if I don't, they'll know I'm lying at least. Shikamaru knows this better than anyone, since I attempt to lie to him the most. He's always asking questions I don't want to give the answers to or saying things I don't want to react truthfully to. Usually he'll brush it off with his usual mutter of 'troublesome' and change the subject or sit in silence. Today seemed to be a different story, however, as he turned in his seat and held out his hand for my tablet.

I shook my head, pressing it closer to my chest. "No."

He closed and opened his fingers twice, further demanding that I give him the tablet. I stuck my tongue out at him. He sighed, "Troublesome woman."

I thought that was the end of that and I started to turn away just as he scooted closer to me and put his fingers on my side and squeezed. I jumped, yelping, my grasp on the tablet loosening. He snatched it from my hands, and held it away from me, looking at its screen. I closed up on myself, defending my poor stomach from any other attempts at tickling.

"A meteor shower, huh?" He said, using his fingers to expand the screen so that the words were bigger. He smiled at me, "That's what you were hiding?"

I shrugged, holding my hand out for my tablet back. "I wasn't sure if I should tell everyone else because I want to be on the beach in quiet, without having to listen to everyone else chatting or giggling or making noise in general. I just want some peace for at least one night during this trip."

His eyebrows lifted, and he held the tablet back out to me. I took it, hugging it against my chest again. We just sat like that for a few moments, staring at each other. I faked a cough and looked away. I pretended not to notice that he was still looking at me as I poked at my tablet. I heard him sigh, and shift again so that he wasn't looking at me anymore but rather, the sunset out the window. "If it that's important to you, I guess I won't tell the others."

I turned to look at him, smiling. He held up a finger to stop me before I could say anything else, "But I'm coming with you, and I get to do all the planning and preparation. Okay?"

I didn't want to agree. I want to do everything myself. But then he looked at me, and held out his hand, pinky up, the way we used to make our agreements when we were kids. And he was smiling, his eyes focused on me. And the way the dying sun was lighting him up, I couldn't help but feel something there, something that made me want to say yes. So, I relented, and wrapped my pinky around his. "Alright. But you better make this awesome, Shika-kun."

He didn't even scowl at his hated nickname. He just chuckled. "You've got a deal."

I headed outside at about eleven o'clock, ignoring the giggles of my friends behind me as I did. I had dressed up, a little, changing my clothes to nicer ones and fixing my hair a bit. He was already there. He was standing with his back to me, head tilted up and a hand in his pocket, the other one holding a lit cigarette. He exhaled, a stream of gray smoke exiting between his lips. He had dressed up, looking really nice compared to his usual baggy pants and loose shirts. I stood there for just a moment, watching him. A lot had happened in our lives. And there was a lot still waiting to happen. We've changed because of those experiences. But the way I feel about Shikamaru, my friend since we just kids, will never change.

He turned a little, and smiled at me. He bent over, grinding out the cigarette in the gravel filled pail next to his foot. "You look nice."

I smiled, and took a few steps so that I was closer. "I could say the same about you."

He snorted, a short laugh expressed by just a sharp exhalation and a twitch of his lips. Then he held out his arm towards the beach. "Are you ready for your amazing night, Hibiki-san?"

"I suppose so, Shikamaru-san." I took his gesture, and started to walk past him. He walked alongside, his hand just on the small of my back, pressing slightly to guide me. As we came to the steps, he nudged me, and nodded to our left. There, about halfway down the beach was a blanket and basket. Two glasses were already set out. I looked at him, and he shrugged. "I didn't bring any alcohol; it's just sparkling grape juice."

He led me to the blanket, helping me down on one corner, then he sat across from me. He pulled the bottle from the basket, and poured some into one of the glasses, handing it to me. As he poured the juice into the glass, I looked away, smiling as I took a drink, glancing up at the sky. The stars were bright, standing out clearly. I picked them out, connecting the dots to form the different constellations. I glanced at Shikamaru, who was doing the same thing. And I giggled. "Wasn't this just a little 'troublesome', Shikamaru-kun?"

He shrugged, "Not really. I just needed to put some food, glasses and this bottle that I found in the fridge into a basket, grab a suitable blanket and bring it all down it and set it up. Didn't take too much effort at all."

He set the glass aside and laid back. "Besides, this is something special, for you. You don't get enough special things."

I looked down, feeling a blush warm my face. I peeked into the basket to see chocolate covered strawberries. I smiled, and took one out smiling at how it was decorated to look like it was wearing a chocolate tuxedo. "Choji made these just for this, didn't he?"

"No- well, maybe." He admitted. He looked at me as I took a bit into the strawberry, and put the stem aside. I swallowed, and laid down beside him, staring up at the sky. It's breathtaking just how many stars there are in the night sky. Across the middle was so many white stars that I just knew had to be the Milky Way. I turned my head, and smiled at Shikamaru. He looked at me too. His hand found mine, and he grasped it, giving it a little squeeze. We stared at the stars, and started to talk about their stories, pointing out which ones we could see, naming the stars that made them up. We shared the strawberries and talked about old times. Then I saw a flash of light, and sat up, shushing him. It was the first meteor. They started to flash through the sky quickly. It was beautiful. I settled back down, watching the night light up with falling stars.

I turned my head after a few minutes to look at Shikamaru. He was looking up at the sky, a half smile on his face. I remembered those days when we'd lie on the grass outside the village and watch the clouds. Feels like it was forever ago. I took this opportunity to really study him. He was a lot older now, and so was I. And there was just something about the way he smiled that made me feel…special. I giggled a little. He wanted to give me something special, because he didn't think I had enough of that. He was wrong.

"What?" He had seen me looking at him. I blushed, and looked away. A hand blocked my vision before touching my cheek, and pulling my face back towards his. Shikamaru was a lot closer now. He lifted his eyebrows, propping his head up with his elbow digging into the blanket. "What's so funny, Hibiki?"

"Nothing."

"Liar." He was closer now, if that was even possible. Our noses were almost touching. "Tell me."

I shook my head, and he poked me in the stomach, making me squirm. He grabbed me, to keep me from wiggling away. So I stuck my tongue out at him. "You didn't have to do all this to make me feel special, Shikamaru. All you have to do is smile."

He didn't say anything, just stared at me, his eyes focused, like he was thinking. I raised my eyebrows. "What? Shikamaru, wha-"

He leaned forward and kissed me. We were frozen just like that, for a moment. Then I closed my eyes, put my hands on his shoulders and kissed back. He climbed on of me, my legs on either side of his waist as we continued to kiss, my fingers untying his hair band and brushing through his hair. He put all of his weight on one arm, using the other to brush my hair out of the way as he kissed my neck. When I gasped, I felt him smile against my skin. He bit there, gently, and I moaned. He chuckled and I turned my head so that I could get to his ear. I sucked on his ear lobe, playing with his earring with my tongue. It was his turn to moan then. His hand slipped down my skin to the bottom of my shirt, where he pushed it up, putting his hand on my bare stomach. Slowly, he brushed his fingers up to my bra, and lifted the band slightly, to slide his fingers around the skin there. He chuckled coming back to kiss me on the lips as he lifted me a little to reach the clasp of my bra in the back. I dug my fingers in his back, as my bra loosened and he cupped my breast, massaging it a little. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and tugged, rolling us over so that I was on top. He looked up at me, surprised, then he smirked, and yanked my face closer again by putting his hand on my neck. "Troublesome woman…"

When we went up to the house in the morning, having fallen asleep on the beach, the entire house was waiting for us, the bolder ones with smug looks on their faces. Kiba brandished a pair of binoculars and led the boys in whistling. The girls all laughed, but I just smiled, looked up and Shikamaru, and pulled his face down for another kiss, knowing that this would only be the first night in a long happy chain to come.


End file.
